Homotopy classification of gerbes (Q845055)

The cocycle category \(h(X,Y)\) is defined for any two objects \(X\) and \(Y\) of the model category as the category of diagrams \(X\leftarrow Z\rightarrow Y\) (called cocycles) such that \(Z\rightarrow X\) is a weak equivalence. A morphism of cocycles \(X\leftarrow Z\rightarrow Y\) and \(X\leftarrow Z'\rightarrow Y\) is a morphism \(Z\rightarrow Z'\) such that the diagram formed by cocycles is commutative. In an earlier paper the author proved that the path components of the category \(h(X,Y)\) are in bijection with the set of morphisms \([X,Y]\) from \(X\) to \(Y\) in the homotopy category if the model category is right proper and if its class of weak equivalences is closed under finite poducts. The purpose of the present paper is to use cocycles in presheaves of \(2\)-groupoids (groupoid enriched in groupoids) to study certain homotopy properties of the category of gerbes. Here, a gerbe is defined as a locally connected presheaf of groupoids, and a morphism of gerbes is a local weak equivalence of presheaves of groupoids. Denote by \(\mathbf{Ger}(\mathcal C)\) the category of gerbes over a small Grothendieck site \(\mathcal C\). In order to classify gerbes, up to local weak equivalence, the author introduces the \(2\)-groupoid \(\mathbf{Iso}(\text{Gr}(\mathcal C))\) consisting of all sheaves of groups on \(\mathcal C\), their isomorphisms and homotopies. The first theorem of the paper says that the path components of the category \(\mathbf{Ger}(\mathcal C)\) are in bijection with path components of the cocycle category \(h(\ast,\mathbf{Iso}(\text{Gr}(\mathcal C)))\). The object \(\mathbf{Iso}(\text{Gr}(\mathcal C))\) is not a presheaf of groupoids but it has subobjects which are honest presheaves of \(2\)-groupoids. In fact, any presheaf of sheaves of groups in \(\mathbf{Iso}(\text{Gr}(\mathcal C)\) determines a full subobject \(\mathcal F\subset \mathbf{Iso}(\text{Gr}(\mathcal C))\) which is a presheaf of \(2\)-groupoids. In the second theorem it is shown that there is a bijection between the path components of cocycles taking values in the presheaf of \(2\)-groupoids \(\mathcal F\) and path components of the category \(\mathbf{Ger}_{\mathcal F}(\mathcal C)\) of gerbes locally equivalent to sheaves of groups appearing in \(\mathcal F\). Both of these objects are in one to one correspondence with the set of morphisms \([\ast,B\mathcal F]\) in the homotopy category of simplicial presheaves. The bijection in the second theorem is a restriction of the bijection from the first theorem. Denote by \(\text{St}(\pi\mathcal F)\) the stack completion of the fundamental groupoid \(\pi\mathcal F\) of \(\mathcal F\). If \(L\) is a global section of \(\text{St}(\pi\mathcal F)\) denote by \(F_L\) the homotopy fibre over \(L\) of the canonical morphism \(B\mathcal F\rightarrow B(\text{St}(\pi\mathcal F))\). In the third theorem it is shown that the set of morphisms \([\ast,BF_L]\) in the homotopy category is in bijective correspondence with Giraud's non-abelian cohomology object \(H^2(\mathcal C,L)\) of equivalence classes of gerbes associated with \(L\).